Charging vertical retorts



Dec. 23, 1930. J. VAN ACKEREN 1,735,749

CHARGING VERTICAL RETORITS Filed June 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENT R.

A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 23, 1930. J. VAN ACKEEEN ,749

CHARGING VERTICAL RETORTS Filed June 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT R.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 23, 1930 was OFFICE 4 Josn'rrr vAN}1i-oKERn or PrrrrsBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE xorrnns ooMreNY, .o-r' PITTSBURGH;rENNsYLvANrA; A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA CHARGING vnn'rrcnn nn'ronrs Application filed June'27,

This invention ,comprehends,improvements of general utility in the coking retort and kindred arts, and in its more specific aspects 7 2 relates to improvements in retorts of the continuous' vertical type as exemplified, for instance, in my applicationSerial No. 684,342, filed January 4,1924, and has for an object the provision of means for efficiently transfer'ring the material to be coked'from a source of supply to the coking chambers ofa battery of retorts.

Where a continuous vertical retort battery comprises retorts and heating wall units separated by, wall structure of, considerable thickness theproblem of providing charging apparatus therefor with adequate supports bins because not only is the top ofsuch abattery' very high but the bins wouldhave to be elevated considerably above" the top to provide the head room essential for operating a battery of this type. An outer framework ,for a structure of this'height wouldtherefore l necessitate the use ofdiagonal windbracing but the length and height of the battery preeludes; the use of the necessary bracing of thistype. Moreover, the fire hazards incident to the location of storage bins above such re- 7 torts is an additionalfimportant' objectionto their use. p

I My invention involves, broadly, the idea of practical means for overcoming all of these obstacles whereby a continuous vertical retort battery, without regard to its length or height, may ,be' efiieiently equipped with charging apparatus. In the more specific aspects -"of my 1nvent1on,I providea charg ng larry car and a track'waythere'for, the tracln way being preferably supported on a framework independent ofthe brickwork and preferably above stationary charging hoppersfor the several. retorts, saidcharging hoppers'be- 1925. Serial No. 40,068.

isafforded. Inspectionmaybe further facilitated by the provision of an operators platform on the larry car likewise extending below the car body and between and below the rails in proximity to the larry car hopper To further facilitate inspection of the discharging operations the lower end of the larry car hopper is offset and in order to prevent spillage of the fuel is provided with a pipe which may be dropped to span the space between said larry car and said stationary feed hopper. This pipe is preferably adapted to be extended to a pointin the feed opening sufficiently low to permit, when removed, the closing of the feed opening withoutobstruction'by the material in'said opening and a valveis also preferably provided between the hopper body proper and said pipe to control the flow of material to the latter.

As a further specific aspect of my invention, a storage bin,preferablysupported in dependently of the battery brickwork and hereinafter described or claimed:

\ In the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specificatiomand showing for purposes of eXemplification, a" preferred form and manner in which the invention maybe embodied and practiced, but without limiting the claimed invention specifically tosuch illustrative instance or instances:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 11 of Fig. 2, showing a portion of a continuous vertical retort, battery and'a storage bin and supported structuretherefor,

the two structures being connected by a track- V charging hopper.-

way on which a larry car is adapted totravel carrying with it. a fuel conveying hopper,

F10. 2 1s a vertical transverse section a I through the battery, showing the relation ship between the coking chambers, statlonary feed hoppers, larry car chargingdevica'and rails and supporting structures for the same,

' Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view ofthe lower end of the larry car hopper showing a pipe adapted to be lowered. to bridge the space between said hopper and the stationary The sam'e'characters of reference indicate thesame parts in each of the several views ofathe drawings. V 1 litefe'rrmg to Fig. lof the drawings, there is shown a support ng structure or tower 1 7 having nearits'top a storage bin 2 which is adapted to be filledlwith fuel by suitable transfer means from a main source of supply, such for exam ale as a bargeor fl381l1l2 car.

The top portion of a vertical retort is shown at 3' hav ng cokingchambers 4 separated by llfittlllg Wfi-lls 5, said chambers belngprovide'd at t leir tops, with stationarycharging hoppers 6 rising'above the top of the brickwork and ;adapted tov be substantially filled I with the fuel andto deliverthe same continu ouslyto the coking chamber. Asupporting framework. on the-exterior of the brickwork shown at 7 which framework may carry at itstop a supersti'ucture'or housing 8 adapted.

toasupport the trolley conductors 9 and a trackway 10, the rails of which are separated by a free space longitudinally of the battery g and above the stationary feed hoppers. A

larry car 15, provided with a fuel conveying hopper 16 having at its lower extremity an offset discharge valve mechanismi :17, is adapted to travel on the trackway. The dis charge end of the larry car hopper extends below the body of the larry car proper and through the space between the rails so that when the lower offset end of the hopper is in vertical alignment with a stationary hopper the discharge outlet of the former will be over the charging opening of the latter. Said larry car is also provided with an operatoris. platform 25 likewise extending throughsaid space between the rails in proxi'mity to the lower end ofthe larry-car hopper. The valve mechanism comprises a pipe ,18 with its upper side portion 'cut away at 19 as shown in Fig. 3, said pipe being adaptedto slidein the guide portion 20 of the car hopper and to'be substantially balanced in raised orlowered position by the lever 21,

counterweighted at 22. A fuel valve 23,op-'

era-ted by'lever mechanism 2 1 controls the flow of fuel from the car hopper. When the valve 23-is opened and the pipe 18lowered the cut away portion'19 of the latter permits flow of the fuel from the car hopper 16 to the charging hopper 6 while the .pipe' bridges the space between said hoppers and p "events spillage of'the. fuel.

' In the operation of the device, when 1t'1s thereby desired to charge the stationary hoppers, the

larry car is run to a position beneath the storage bin and charged with fuel, its capacity being suiiicient to enable it to charge a plurality of ovens. The car 15 isthen run to v a position with the discharge valvex17 g vertically above the stationary charging hopper 6 which it isdesi'red to fill. Theantispillage pipe 18'is then dropped into, posi- Jtionto bridge the spacebetween the car hopper extension and the feedopening in the stationary hopper, extending downwardly into the latter, thepipe being m'aintainedin the adjusted position by'thecounterweiglit 22. The valve 23 is then opened anfdthe ma terial flows from the hopper, through the pipe and into the stationary charginghopper. The operator, froinhisposition'onthe platform, may observe the proper-alignment e of the parts aswell as the feeding operation.

By the arrangement disclosed the spillage of a fuel is rendered impossible since when the stationary hopper is filled the downward flow of fuel will stop inasmuch as it passes through a passagewayentirely closed laterally by the sides oft'he hopper and the interconnecting pipe. "When the charging operation is completed the valve is. closed and the pipe lifted, the material. settling tofa point sufliciel itly'below thetop of the feed'opening in the stationary hopperto permit the cover to be placed thereon. This results from the fact that'inthe charging position the end of the pipe extends substantially below the top .of the feed opening, leavingaspace above 1 the lowerend ofthe pipe suflioient to acco1ninodate the charge remaining inthepipe after the valve is closed. This provision is of great importance in continuous'vertical re torts 111 which the feeding operatlon. is continued until the stationary hopper is filled and no space in the body of the hopper re-- mains for the'contents of the pipe w drawn. The same problem isnotmet with in ovens of the horizontal type since the latter are never completely filled. After the'charg ing operation is completed the larry car free tolmove on to the next stationary hopper to be charged, and similarlyfor the'remainder of the stationary hoppers. l

n with-' The invention as'hereinabove set forth is embodied ina particular form of construction, but may be variously embodied within the scope of the claims" hereinafter made.

I claim: v 1. In a vertical retort battery, or the like,

in combination: a larry car provided with a charging hopper adapted to discharge fuel into a retort chamber, said hopper being provided at its lower extremity w th an offset discharge member provided with a valve controlling the flow of thefuel, said member being adapted to be positioned overthe feed openingin the retort chamber to provide a I view of the charging operation unobstructed .by the body of the hopper; and an operators 'platform carried by the larry car adjacent said offset discharge member substantially as 2. In a vertical retort battery, or the like, in combination: a movable charging hopper adapted todischarge fuel into a retort chamber, said hopper being provided at its lower extremity with an offset discharge outlet adapted to be positioned over the feed opening in the retort chamber to provide a View of the charging operation unobstructed by the body of the hopper; and an operators platform movable with said charging hopper and locatedadjacent said off-set discharge out-let substantially as specified.

3. In a coke oven, or the like, provided with heat treating chambers and feed openings therefor, in combination: a charging device provided with a hopper having its lower or discharge end offset; means carried by said offset to control the flow of the material and other means carried by said ofiset end movable tobridge the space between said end and one of said chamber feed openings to prevent spillage; substantially as specified.

4. In a coke oven, or the like, provided with heat treating chambers and feed openings therefor, in combination: a charging device provlded with a hopper having a discharge outlet; means carried by said device and movable to brldge the space between sald discharge outlet and one of said chamber feed openings to prevent spillage; and a valve between the feed hopper proper and the means for preventing spillage to coperate with the latter in charging and in discontinuing the charging operation, said bridging means and valve being'both offset from the lower dis charge end of the hopper; substantially as specified.

5. 111 a coke oven, or the like, provided with heat treating chambers and feed openings therefor, in combination: a charging device a-dapted to deliver the charging material i to said chambers; and means carried by said my hand.

device and movable to bridge the space between said device and one of said feed openings; and a counter weight for said means to maintain it in feeding or in non-feeding position; substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set JOSEPH VAN AGKEREN. 

